A Navajo weaving of an integrated circuit: the 555 timer
12 hours ago
- Marilou Schultz, a Diné weaver, created a rug depicting the internal circuitry of the 555 timer chip, using white lines for wiring, black for silicon, and reddish-orange diamonds for bond pads.
- The rug was inspired by a die photo taken by Antoine Bercovici and closely follows the chip's layout, with artistic differences like removed bond pads and simplified top circuitry.
- Schultz used metallic threads (silver and gold) to represent chip metals, and aniline dyes for black and lavender colors, dedicating the latter to her mother.
- The 555 timer chip generates time delays using external resistors and capacitors, which the rug's interactive browser allows viewers to explore component functions.
- Schultz has been making chip rugs since 1994, when Intel commissioned a Pentium rug for AISES, highlighting the connection between Navajo weaving and integrated circuit patterns.